


Legacy and Love

by curlysupergirl



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), Classical Greece and Rome History & Literature RPF, Glam Rock RPF, Rome, Tommy Ratliff (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece & Rome, Ancient Rome, Apologies?, Epiphany, F/M, M/M, Marriage, Social Sattire, courting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-11-20
Updated: 2011-11-23
Packaged: 2017-10-26 07:52:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/280575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curlysupergirl/pseuds/curlysupergirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam is totally supportive of Tommy's random decision to get married! To a woman! Or, at least, at first he is....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Married?!

**Legacy and Love**

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE TO BE MARRIED TOMORROW, TOM?!”, screamed Adam, looking like a proper Roman citizen, etiquette out the window.

 

How could Tommy not tell his best friend that he was betrothed? That was quite a secret to keep for such a long time, or so Adam had thought. When Adam had received the name of his betrothed at age 6, he had told Tommy. Adam had thought it strange that Tommy had not confided in him but had always assumed it was because he had no money to make a match. Tommus Joeus had lost his father at an early age and his mother had died in a fire a few years later with all his siblings, leaving Tommy utterly alone in the world. His _adoptavit_ , the man who took him in, left Tommy a modest inheritance, enough to include him in the poorer _aristocratia_. Adam had always been too polite to ask and would not dare insult Tommy’s honor by trying to find him a wife.

 

“Let’s go somewhere we can talk privately,” said Tommy, glancing suspiciously at the pedestrian traffic. “The marketplace is not a site for secrets.”

 

They walked together, Adam anxiously anticipating his friend’s explanation, and Tommy, smiling contently, waiting to tell his story.

 

“Sixteen days ago, I’m sure you remember I left town for a few days to visit the villa of Gaius Opulens Septus,” said Tommy, his face calm and composed in contrast to Adam’s feverish complexion.

 

“The great Admiral Opulens?!”

 

“Yes,” replied Tommy, “I was out for a walk after lunch, when all of you Romans take your afternoon naps, and Juno’s hand guided me into a beautiful meadow by the lake. Mesmerized by the magnificent colors, it took me a moment to notice a petite girl kneeling by the shore. She heard me approaching and spun around, throwing her hair into a beautiful whirl of curls the color of light honey. Her beauty rivaled that of Venus, with her fair complexion and startling green eyes. My voice caught in my throat as she introduced herself as Pulchra. I was--”

 

“The admiral’s daughter?” interrupted Adam.

 

“Yes, the admiral’s daughter. I apologized for intruding but could not walk away. With the little _domina_ ’s permission, I sat down in the grass and we spoke for hours. When the sun began to set, she led me inside for dinner and we spoke into the late hours of the night.

 

“We spent the following days in the same pattern, spending our days in the valley and our evenings in the dining room. It was as plain to see as night and day. We fit together like pieces of a puzzle.”

 

“You cannot honestly tell me that you found yourself a suitable _wife_ in mere days. It is an impossible feat!” exclaimed Adam.

 

“I am positive that this is the woman I wish to spend the rest of my life with. Why isn’t that enough?” questioned Tommy, disappointed in his friend’s reaction to his wonderful news.

 

“You would not have done this had you gotten a proper Roman upbringing, Tommus,” said Adam, genuinely concerned for his friend’s public image. “You would have been betrothed like every other man in the world and gotten married at a normal ceremony with all your friends and fa-- I mean-- I just wish you would be more careful about customs around here.”

 

“I love her and I intend to marry her! It doesn’t matter to me how long I’ve known her for! I was rather hoping you would show some support, seeing as you’re the closest thing I have to family.”

 

“I’m so sorry Tommy,” apologized Adam, his face a picture of remorse. “Of course I’ll be there. Your father would have been proud to see the bold, secure, and confident man you have become.”

 

As the taller man turned to walk away, Tommy missed the tear in the corner of his eye. If he knew the real reason his best friend did not want him married, he would reconsider. Bonds such as their friendship were often made into more permanent bonds; marriage bonds, and Adam was hoping Tommy would catch on, but he would not ruin his friend’s big day if he chose to follow through with his courtship of that _woman._ But maybe, he could convince him beforehand that this was a mistake he would regret. He belonged with Adam!

 

Determined, Adam abrubtly spun on his heel, put his arms around Tommy, and kissed him hard on the mouth. Tommy was silent for a moment, and then sputtered.

 

“A-A-Adam. I…”

 

And he ran way.

 

\-- finis --

 


	2. Apologies and Secluded Gardens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam needs to explain

Tommy ran though the streets, his height making it easy to duck under signs, people’s hands, and anything else standing in his way. Adam was running after him but he wasn’t nearly as swift as his small, light- weight best friend, and he fell behind quickly.

Tommy stopped by a small park behind one of the noble’s houses. It was a secluded grove that no one would find him in. It was too bad that his best friend was the one he was running from, because not ten minutes later, Adam stepped into the clearing, ducking under a low branch that obscured the entrance. How did Adam know this is where he would run? Scratch that question; Adam noticed everything! And that was one of the reason’s he was such a good friend. You never had to tell him anything, because he already knew, and yet, he never brought any subject up that Tommy was reluctant to talk about, such as the time Tommy had tripped on the way home and actually rolled on an ORANGE. Who does that? Of course, Tommy had headed straight to Adam’s house, where Adam had taken one look at him and went to get the bandages. Sending the slaves away, Adam patched up Tommy by himself, cleaning his cuts with the gentlest touches Tommy had ever felt. It wasn’t hard to see himself falling for Adam. Wait, what was he thinking?! No! Adam was his best friend, not his boyfriend, though sometimes he acted like it.

That thought was enough to startle Tommy back into the present. He looked up to see Adam waiting patiently for Tommy to acknowledge him. Gods! Why did he have to be so perfect? Why couldn’t he mess up just once?!

“Hey,” Tommy said quietly. It was a weak apology for (quite literally!) running out on Adam like that.

“Tommus….” Started Adam, trailing off when he realized too much was hedged on this explanation and he needed to think of something good to say.

“I won’t apologize for kissing you,” he continued, “because that was the best thing I did in my entire life, and I know it can’t have been that bad for you, right?” Great! Now his insecurities kick in. Perfect timing.

“Just let me explain. Please?”

Tommy gave a tiny nod and Adam continued.

“When you truly love someone --and I do love you! I’ve said it enough times, but now I mean it as more than a best friend-- you say you would kill for him… die for him. But would you refrain from killing… for him? Would you live for him? What if he didn’t want you to put his life above all else? Would you be able to stand there and watch him die… only because he asked you to? Would you be able to move on and live another life, because he didn’t want yours to end when his did? Could you? As humans, our first reaction is always “What can we do to make the situation better?” but maybe what we should be asking ourselves is “what can we not do to ease the tension?” We think that going against our convictions means stealing, lying, cheating, for the one we love… but one of our convictions is not to let the one we love get hurt and it is then that we are truly tested. Can we go against that principle (standard) and let him be hurt because it is his wish? Would we really do anything for him? Because anything includes doing nothing. And sometimes, that is all he wants you to do.

So I am telling you now…. If you want me to forget this happened, then I will. I will do what is best for you and move on. But if you felt anything, anything at all in that kiss, tell me now because I know I did, and if there is anything there… for us, I need to know. Please, just tell me now so I can move on and I’ll be at your wedding, and I’ll be your family, brothers forever, but if not; if you did feel something, I can’t find out in five years and know that nothing will have changed. So please…. Did you feel anything just then?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should i continue? please review!

**Author's Note:**

> Cliff hanger... should i continue? What is Tommy's reaction to the kiss? Should Adam pursue him? Should he accept?


End file.
